Good Neighbor Podcast: Tri-Cities
Bringing together local businesses and neighbor of the Tri-Cities region. Good Neighbor Podcast hosted by Skip Mauney helps residents discover and connect with your local business owners in and around The Tri-Cities.
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Good Neighbor Podcast: Tri-Cities
EP#185: Home Inspection Demystified: Tim Lawson's Journey with Advanced Home and Property Inspections
What makes Tim Lawson with Advanced Home and Property Inspections a good neighbor?
What exactly happens during a home inspection, and why does it matter? Tim Lawson, owner of Advanced Home and Property Inspection, pulls back the curtain on this crucial step in the real estate process.
Contrary to the stereotype of inspectors as "deal killers," Tim approaches each home with a mission to inform rather than alarm. "Very few homes have I ever inspected that I've said there's something serious wrong with this home that cannot be repaired," he explains. Drawing from experience that began with lessons from his contractor grandfather, Tim now helps buyers understand the significance of findings – distinguishing between the major expense of a roof replacement versus the relatively minor cost of a water heater.
Beyond identifying maintenance issues, home inspectors serve as safety advocates. Tim educates clients on overlooked dangers, from outdated smoke detectors to the invisible threat of radon gas. His expertise in radon testing has become increasingly valuable, particularly in East Tennessee where exposure levels can be equivalent to "smoking two packs of cigarettes a day." This comprehensive approach ensures buyers have complete information about what is typically the largest purchase of their lives.
Tim's journey from a 20-year FedEx career to independent business owner wasn't without challenges. His first attempt coincided with the 2008 housing market collapse, forcing him back to corporate life before successfully launching his inspection business years later. This experience shapes his customer-focused philosophy: "We inspect every home as if it was going to be my own." When you're ready to buy or sell a home in the Tri-Cities area, contact Tim at 865-235-8110 for an inspection that delivers peace of mind and professional insight.
To learn more about Advanced Home and Property Inspection go to:
https://advancedhomeandpropertyinspect.com/
Advanced Home and Property Inspection
(865) 235-8110
This is the Good Neighbor Podcast, the place where local businesses and neighbors come together. Here's your host, Skip Monty.
Speaker 2:Well, howdy everyone and welcome to the Good Neighbor Podcast of the Tri-Cities. So today I am pretty excited to learn all about our very special guest and their company. And I'm sure you will be too, because today I have the pleasure of introducing your good neighbor, mr Tim Lawson, who is the owner operator of Advanced Home and Property Inspection. Tim, welcome to the show.
Speaker 3:Good to be here, Skip. Thank you.
Speaker 2:Well, we're glad to have you, like I said, very excited to learn all about what you do and the services you offer. So, if you don't mind, why don't you kick us off by telling us about your business?
Speaker 3:We do home inspections for buyers, sellers, real estate transactions. Mainly biggest customers are referrals from local realtors. We try to help people be informed on one of the biggest purchases of their life Best we can do on that. It's a big undertaking for both buyers and sellers. When they're selling a home Lots of variables can be with it, you know. Try to inform them on what is a big expense, what's not a big expense versus. You know a roof is much more expensive than a water heater, and try to inform them best we can.
Speaker 3:We also cover the safety aspects of a home. Most people don't understand that when a smoke detector changes colors, even though it still may be working and they've replaced the batteries in it, it's dated by changing colors and it needs to be replaced.
Speaker 2:We cover all of that. Wow, I know I've bought and sold quite a few houses in my time and I'm an old guy. But I know when you're selling a house you kind of get a little nervous about what the inspector is going to find. And if you're buying a house you kind of get a little nervous. I'm sure you get both ends of the spectrum with your clients that they're hoping and praying.
Speaker 3:We do, and there's a misconception out there that home inspectors were trying to be a deal killer. I've never went into a home thinking what can I do to prevent these people from selling their home. I'm not, and they are some of us out there that have that reputation. I don't see it that way. Very few homes have I ever inspected that I've said. Few homes have I ever inspected that I've said there's something serious wrong with this home that cannot be be repaired. You know, there is times that if we find something that we can't describe on what's going on with it like, say, it has a foundation issue we will refer those to a structural engineer. But that's very seldom, very seldom.
Speaker 2:Very good.
Speaker 3:It is changing in this area and some parts of the country. Radon testing is the it's. You know. You cannot determine, I cannot, and I've been in radon testing for about four years now. The only way I can tell you that the home may have radon in it and may not is really with a test. If a home next door has mitigation, that home may have radon.
Speaker 2:But that's really about the how do you get radon?
Speaker 3:I mean, I don't get what is it comes out of granite or limestone rock. If your house has a basement in it or a concrete slab, it may have it the only ones that typically don't. And even if they do, they can't mitigate it, as if the home has a crawl space, it may not have it, but anything with a concrete slab probably could have it. In this area, east Tennessee typically has it, southwest Virginia, middle Tennessee, not as much West Tennessee it don't exist.
Speaker 2:What is radon, I mean, is it dangerous?
Speaker 3:Yes, yes, the EPA says that it can be very dangerous. It could be the equivalent of smoking two packs of cigarettes a day, and it has been known to cause lung cancer.
Speaker 2:Wow, wow. Well, that's pretty important to get that checked out then. That got me concerned now.
Speaker 3:Well, yes, if you doubt it, you can buy a test kit that you send off and it's basically canisters tested. I also test homes that are not going to be inspected and I do it electronically. I usually do a 48-hour test. We have the results in 48 hours. I do not mitigate. That's other companies. That's a conflict of interest as far as I'm concerned, to be an inspector and do mitigation. We do refer to some local companies that do mitigation, but we do not do the mitigation.
Speaker 2:Well, that makes sense. That makes sense. Well, how did you get started in the inspection business?
Speaker 3:Actually my grandfather was a contractor and he was kind of a mentor for me for many different things. But in college I majored in transportation. I spent 20 years with FedEx.
Speaker 2:Oh, wow.
Speaker 3:Tried this in like 2008 or 2009. And then the housing market just totally collapsed. I ended up going back to FedEx and working another five years and then went into been into this ever since.
Speaker 2:Very good, no regrets.
Speaker 3:No regrets Now. I wish I would, you know, did it sooner, but I did not. I did not and I just I got to the point with my job with FedEx that I couldn't really move up anymore and I just chose the wrong time to do this at that time. But I'd been wanting to do it prior to that and I wished I had stuck with it and did it sooner actually.
Speaker 2:I know the feeling, tim. I was just like I wish I'd have done this a lot earlier, but I get it, you get into something and you become comfortable.
Speaker 3:And it's also the income. And really you know a lot of us. They are companies that are nationwide that have home inspectors, but, um, I would say you know, 90 percent or more are self-employed owner proprietors. So, um, it's a big step to start your own business in anything, but actually it's absolutely, absolutely well outside of work tim.
Speaker 2:What do you like to do for fun if there is time outside of work?
Speaker 3:Oh yeah, you have to make time anymore. You know I like to bass fish. I have a motorcycle but really with the lakes here in our area, bass fishing is pretty much my thing now.
Speaker 2:I'm a trout guy. I like to fish in the mountains. I'm a fly fisherman, but I like to bass fish too with a fly rod. Yeah, that's a lot of fun.
Speaker 3:I don't typically use a fly rod and that's one fishing I don't do. I fish rivers, but I am not a trout fisherman. But hey, the South Holston is maybe worldwide known here yes, absolutely, absolutely is I.
Speaker 2:I remember reading about the south holston when I lived in california, actually, and I used to do a lot of fishing out there. But yeah, fly fishing for bass is fun, it's, it's uh, I mean, there's nothing like it. I've had them and I know we're not here to talk about me, but I've had bass porpoise out of the water, like have a topwater fly or jig whatever, and come out of the water and attack the fly from above in the air, like come up out of the water and hit it. I'd never seen anything. I've had that happen several times. That's a lot of fun, really.
Speaker 3:You were trout fishing, but you were actually fishing for bass.
Speaker 2:With a fly yeah, and I use it with a cricket with a cricket yeah, like a cricket fly. Anyway, enough about me. Let's switch gears for a second. Can you describe a hardship or a life challenge that you made it through and when it was all done, you were better and stronger on the other side?
Speaker 3:Oh yes, like I said, probably one of the biggest things for me was a career change and also losing a parent about that same time, and it's it's a struggle to do your own business. I mean, it absolutely is, but it's very rewarding to have your own business and grow it. You have all the risk but you reap all the rewards.
Speaker 2:Absolutely. I couldn't agree more. This is my, you know my business, and to start something from scratch, from nothing, and create something and make it successful is not easy to do, but, like you said, it's incredibly rewarding. Couldn't agree more.
Speaker 3:Yes.
Speaker 2:So if, tim, if you could, if you could ask our listeners to remember one thing about advanced home and property inspection, what would that be?
Speaker 3:We inspect every home as if it was going to be my own. I was going to live in it. You know I try to look at homes, or you know, like I said again, it's, it's, uh, probably some of the biggest purchases we make. Um, you know, people are excited but they're also scared at the same time, and I just try to inform them as best as I can on any issues or whatever repairs it needs to have done to it before they pull the trigger and purchase it.
Speaker 2:Very good, very good, good thing to remember. So for those of our listeners that might be thinking about buying a house, selling their house, buying some property, and interested in learning more about what you do, how can they do that?
Speaker 3:You can find me on Google search. We also have a, an app, and or you can contact me by phone or text. That's usually the quickest or way is by phone or text me.
Speaker 2:Okay, very good, and what and what number would they call?
Speaker 3:865-235-8110.
Speaker 2:8110. All right, awesome. Well, tim, I can't tell you how much I appreciate you taking time out of your day to be with me and our listeners and tell us all about what you do, and we wish you and your family and your business all the best moving forward.
Speaker 3:Thank you. Thank you, skip, I really appreciate it and enjoyed being on here today.
Speaker 2:All right, we'd love to have you back sometime.
Speaker 3:Awesome, that would be great.
Speaker 2:All right, you have a great rest of the day.
Speaker 3:You too, thank you.
Speaker 1:Thank you for listening to the Good Neighbor Podcast. To nominate your favorite local businesses to be featured on the show, go to gnptry-citiescom. That's gnptry-citiescom, or call 423-719-5873. 5, 8, 7, 3.